What Could Have Been
by IcestormisaNERD
Summary: A Fred/Hermione story about their relationship growing through the years. One-shot. Hope you like!


"Hello," said a young boy with bright orange hair, coming up to Hermione. "I'm Fred Weasley! You are?"

"Hermione Granger," she said, shyly looking at the floor.

"You need help with that trunk?" asked Fred gesturing at her trunk, she had been attempting to lift it into the train when he had come over.

"Yes please," she said, smiling as Fred hoisted her trunk into the car.

"Fred!" called someone who looked like Fred's reflection, "Come on! Lee wants to show us something!"

"I've gotta go," Fred told Hermione apologetically, "Guess I'll see you around."

"Bye Fred," she said, but he was already hurrying away.

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAY FOR THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN! SERIOUSLY EVIL WIZARD COMING THROUGH!" shouted Fred as he and George lead Harry through the crowd. Hermione smiled and laughed quietly to herself, as the twins opened the doors and bowed exuberantly to a very embarrassed Harry.

"Out of control," she giggled as she made her way to the doors.

"Why thank you!" said Fred, hooking his arm through hers. "I believe our fearless heir of Slytherin is quite embarrassed." She tried not to grin at his arm hooked through hers.

"I think you guys are doing a good job making him embarrassed," she said. As they reached the door Fred unhooked his arm from hers. She hid her disappointment.

"See you later?" he asked, "I believe George and I could use your help with an elaborate prank we are doing."

"Sure thing," she said, and then she walked into the transfiguration classroom, grinning like an idiot.

"Why are you so happy?" demanded Ron as she sat down next to him.

"Nothing," she replied. Ron looked mystified.

"I was just trying to help," Hermione sniffled, as she sat by herself in the common room after Christmas. Harry and Ron were both mad at her, but she had done what she thought was right. Then why did she feel so guilty?

"Help who?" asked a freckly red-headed boy. Fred was grinning then rearranged his features at her facec. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sniffed, not looking at him.

"Hmmm, just a wild guess here, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with my prat of a brother," he said, sitting down next to her. She gave a small chuckle.

"Really, you can tell me," he said, putting his arm around her. The warm, comforting feeling was all she needed to spill her guts to him.

"… and I was just doing what I thought was right! But now Ron and Harry are really mad at me," she finished, taking a deep breath.

"Well, I'll tell you what," said Fred, "You can hang with us, with your brains we'll be unstoppable!" she grinned at him, "Thanks, I'd like that." Then before she could sike herself out, she gave him a small one-armed hug. Then she left the surprised 4th year sitting on the couch as she walked to the dormitory.

Hermione was upset. She had waited since they announced the Yule Ball for someone to ask her, well not just someone. She wanted Fred to ask, she's even told Victor Krum that someone else had asked and she had already said yes, even though that wasn't true. She had finally admitted to herself that she liked him, but now she realized that she had been stupid. Fred Weasley, go out with her? The annoying, bushy-haired bookworm? That had been so stupid! Of course he didn't like her. She had thought maybe after last year, they had hung out a lot when Harry and Ron weren't talking to her. But the gorgeous, fun, prankster had tons of girls practically fawning over him. Now, she had just watched him asked Angelina Johnson from across the table. Then Ron asks her as a last resort? She knew that meant that she had no date, and when Ron found out he'd never let her hear the end of it. But as she fled the Great Hall she collided with none other than Victor Krum.

"Her me own!" said Victor as she crashed into him. She toppled to the floor and he helped her up, "Have you reconsidered going to the vall with me?" She smiled lightly.

"Actually, the person who asked me before got another date, so I'd love to go with you," she said.

"Very good!" he said, smilingly widely, "I'll meet you here at 8?"

"Sure, sounds great," she said, before leaving for the dormitory, and as she left she couldn't shake the feeling of regret that was practically emanating from her body.

Hermione sprinted away from the room of requirement. She felt like she was the mouse and she was getting chased by about 50 cats. How could they have gotten in? How was that possible? Who betrayed them? Then a burly Slytherin jumped in front of her, brandishing his wand. She reeled to a halt, her eyes fixated on the stick of wood inches from her chest.

"You're coming with me," said the boy in a maniacal tone. "Professor Umbridge will be happy to get one of potter's friends." Hermione couldn't think of what to do, all she could do was stare at the boy, then the most welcoming voice came to her rescue.

"Doncha mean Um-bitch?" asked Fred as he strolled around the corner. The boy crumpled to the ground at the end of Fred's spell.

"Are you ok?" he asked, looking at her with concern. She wished he wouldn't, it hurt too much. Him and Angelina were dating and seemed very happy about it, but she couldn't help but wish things were different. She wished that she was the one that he adored, that he would kiss her in his lap. This caring that passed from him hurt because it was a brotherly caring, well that's what she figured anyway.

"Thank you," she said, "We best be going, we are going to get caught if we stay." Then she ran down the corridor, not noticing the boy she left, not noticing the pain in his eyes. Not seeing the longing there.

"Alone again?" asked a certain red-head as he noticed Hermione sitting with a large book in her lap. She went to close the book, and go away, but he then he continued, "Where you going? Someone better to see?"

"No, I just," she racked her minds for some excuse and found none, "I guess not."

"So, where is Harry and Ron?" he said, settling on the couch, his arm brushed hers and she stayed stiff as a board. It was all she could do to not run and not lean against the comforting prescene.

"Harry has, ummm, remedial potions lessions, and I could care less where Ron is," She replied, looking down.

"What did I do?" he asked, tapping his long fingers on her thigh to get her attention.

"Nothing," she chocked out, not looking up.

"Seriously Hermione, I miss our friendship. You practically run away from me whenever it's just us. What did I do? What happened?" She couldn't tell him, couldn't tell him it was a stupid crush that had made their friendship fall apart.

"You didn't do anything, it was me," she finally managed, still fixing her eyes on her lap. He pulled her chin up. Brown eyes met dark blue ones.

"Yes I did," he said, letting go of her chin. She kept looking at him, she didn't want to explain, she wanted him to figure it out, not for her to have to explain it. He and Angelina had broken up, but she didn't want to tempt herself, let herself believe that he might like her. She had succeeded, up till now. Then Fred understood. To Hermione nothing changed, but inside Fred's mind he understood, and couldn't believe she'd been so thick.

"Do you remember fourth year?" asked Fred, looking into her eyes, "You know like the Yule ball?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered, breaking their eye contact and grabbing her right hand with her left.

"Do you remember how I asked Angelina to be my date?" he said. She gasped as if he had struck her.

"It's ok, I know you love her. I'm totally on board," Hermione lied, talking too fast then going to get up. Fred grabbed her shoulder and steered her back down.

"I don't love her. I asked her because we were friends. I was actually chickening out asking someone else." Hermione looked up again and tears were forming at the edges of her eyes.

"What?"

"I was going to ask you, but I knew Victor Krum had asked you. And how could I compete with a professional Quittiditch player?" He asked her, leaning slightly closer.

"It wasn't a competition, I said no. Then changed my mind when you asked-" The rest of her words were caught in her throat as the boy in front of her leaned closer. He was so close that she could see each freckle on his cheeks, then she closed her eyes and returned the kiss.

She ran down the hall, desperate, desperate to find him. This might be the last time she would see him alive. Or visa-versa. She hadn't seen him in months, and it was killing her. Harry and Ron were at her sides, matching her strides with theirs. The two boys closer than brothers. As she saw him, she was already hurling hex's. Her own curses were more powerful than they should have been, for each shield the death eater threw up against them made him weaker and weaker. Fred and Percy dueled side by side, and it was like a complicated choreographed dance. Then Percy fell his combantant, and said something Hermione couldn't hear. Fred looked at him, a look of glee on his face. Then an explosion. She was weightless in a moment that felt like forever. Then it was over and she was crashed against a wall. Harry pulled her to her feet, and she saw him. Fred was lying dead on the floor. His laugh still on his face. Death did not like those who laughed in his face. Her future was over. No more future for her. No marriage, no kids. She could never love someone else. For she was sure that debris had struck her chest in the explosion, because no emotion could cause this amount of pain. But when she reached for her heart, there was no blood. Her fantasies, her dreams were gone. Her hope of growing old with Fred in a house full of laughing children. Her dream of becoming a grandmother. Her dream of marrying Fred after the war. This had been ripped from her, and no tears cascaded from her cheeks. This was not the time for grief, for as suddenly and blindly as the grief, came the anger. A fierce and overwhelming desiree to kill. To kill anyone and everyone who had a hand in Fred's demise. No one could face her. But Harry was speaking to her and Ron in a low calm voice, reminding them that the only way to truly defeat those responsible would be to get the snake. It wasn't the answer she wanted, and it was far from satisfying. But there would be time for destruction later, and she would be in the middle of it and no death eater would be able to stand her might.

A.N.: Hello guys! This was just a little story I wrote after seeing some fermione pictures. This is sort of how I imagined their relationship to have started and ended. I know this sorta takes dramatic liscenes from the books, but I tried to make it fit as much as possible. Hope you liked it it!


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